On Thursday, the Sierra Club, alongside a group of nonprofits, joined 16 states and the District of Columbia in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The lawsuit challenges the suspension of funding for a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, initiated in 2021 under the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, was allocated $5 billion to establish a network of highways with EV charging stations every 50 miles.
The Trump administration paused the program’s funding in February, as indicated in a Federal Highway Administration memo. The memo stated the program was under review, suspending the approval of all State EV Infrastructure Deployment plans. By January, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had submitted and received approval for their plans.
According to Joe Halso, a senior attorney at the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, the NEVI program aims to “enable freedom of movement.” Halso emphasized NEVI’s role in benefiting communities through job creation, promoting equity, and reducing emissions. “We’re seeing Trump attacks on a clean energy economy and on electric vehicles in particular,” he said.
The lawsuit aims to reinstate the congressionally approved funding. A motion for a preliminary injunction was also filed, potentially allowing NEVI funds to be released temporarily, said Josh Berman, a senior attorney at the Sierra Club. However, the timing remains uncertain.
Atid Kimelman, a clean vehicles attorney at NRDC, criticized the suspension, stating it violated “bedrock principles of American law.” He argued the decision was based on “political whim,” lacking a legal basis to freeze billions earmarked for state distribution. “This is part and parcel with their attempt to control Congress’s power of the purse,” he added.
The freeze occurs amid rising electric vehicle purchases, driven by lower maintenance and fuel costs compared to gas-powered vehicles. In 2024, Americans bought 1.3 million electric vehicles, a 7% increase from the previous year, according to Cox Automotive. The upfront costs of electric vehicles have decreased, while performance has improved.
Despite growth in EV sales, many Americans lack access to charging stations. The NEVI program intended to address “critical gaps” in charging infrastructure, serving as an “equity program,” Kimelman said. It ensures funding reaches all states and plays a key role in the transition to electric vehicles.
There are about 77,000 publicly accessible EV charging stations in the U.S., according to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. However, access varies by location and socioeconomic status, with a joint study revealing that EV chargers are unevenly distributed across cities and states. The income gap in EV charger access is three times that of gas stations.
Halso noted that communities lacking EV charging stations often suffer from transportation-related air pollution. Delaying the transition to electric vehicles extends harm to these communities. “This is about more than road trips,” he said. “It’s about equity, pollution reduction, and climate resilience.”
Low-income communities of color face higher exposure to fossil fuel pollution, studies show. A 2023 study from Northwestern University found people of color in the U.S. are more likely than white Americans to die prematurely from nitrogen dioxide exposure, a pollutant mainly from vehicles and power plants.
A nationwide shift to zero-emission vehicles would enhance air quality and public health, as per a report by the American Lung Association. The report suggests a large-scale transition to EVs could yield $1.2 trillion in health benefits and prevent 110,000 deaths.
Reliable EV charging station access is crucial for public safety, Berman noted. In coastal regions prone to natural disasters, dependable charging infrastructure is necessary for safe evacuations. “It’s potentially life and death,” he said.
Thomas Caffery, an Orlando, Florida resident, shared concerns about EV travel during emergencies. He recounted “close calls” with his electric Nissan Leaf and the decision to buy a gas-powered car for added safety. “If Orlando were projected to take a significant hit, we’d want to leave,” he wrote. “With the Leaf’s limited range and lack of fast chargers, we couldn’t safely count on it.”
Caffery supports the NEVI program to reduce transportation emissions and climate risks. “We needed to start the transition to electric vehicles decades ago,” he emphasized. “We can’t afford to wait any longer.”
Original Story at www.sierraclub.org